Fairytales
by pyrokineticsiren-san
Summary: After Iruka saves Naruto from a fight at school he starts to grow attached to the little guy. But as he soon finds out parenting is alot harder than he thought! He's gonna need some help! slight kakashixiruka
1. Sticks and Stones

**Chapter 1- Sticks and Stones – Iruka and Naruto**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto_

_Author's Note: This is chapter one in a series of short stories I'm writing about the characters from Naruto as their cute little baby selves! Fairytale 1 is about Naruto and his favorite sensei, Iruka!! please read and review, I would love to hear what you have to say. Oh! And any ideas for cute little pairings or any baby characters you just wanna see in a story together would be great and appreciated! _

It was just another normal, day in Konoha. The sun was gently setting on the horizon, dieing the sky the lazy orange of twilight. The children played outside at the ninja academy, excitedly practicing their new hand signs.

A young tan-skinned Genin watched over them all, smiling proudly. They had all made such quick progress with the new jutsu. It surprised Iruka how quickly they had all managed to adapt to it. They all showed so much potential…

"HEY, WANNABE'S!!!! LOOK OVER HERE!!!"

Well, almost all of them…

Uzumaki Naruto, a spiky haired, loud mouthed little kid with an aptitude for pulling rotten pranks, was, of course, up to the usual. He was standing in the middle of the schoolyard, calling eagerly for all the kids to gather round.

Iruka sighed. "What now?"

"C'MON!! EVERYBODY! I HAVEN'T GOT ALL DAY!!!" he yelled.

"What are you up to now, Naruto?" a little, pink haired, bossy girl said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"It's amazing, Sakura-chan!!! Wait 'till you see it!" he said excitedly.

"Ohhh… I can hardly wait," she groaned.

"What are you doing, Naruto?" Iruka asked, pushing his way threw the crowd of kids.

"Here goes!!" He made some quick hand signs and yelled, "Transform!" _POOF! _He disappeared behind a cloud of white smoke and reappeared a few seconds later as…

"AAIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!" The kids exclaimed, covering their eyes.

Naruto grinned as he reappeared, now much older, _female_, and completely _nude_!

"EWWWWWWWWW!!!!!" Sakura screamed. "NARUTO!!! YOU ARE SO GROSS!!!"

He giggled and blew a kiss, making the crowd of kids scream and run away.

_POP!_ Another cloud of smoke surrounded him and he reappeared as his normal, clothed self.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! I got ya'! I got ya'! Ahahaha!"

"N-n-n… NARUTO!!!!!!" Iruka bellowed.

"Yeah sensei-YOW!!" Iruka punched him in the back of the head.

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" Naruto moaned.

"That was so…. so… _vulgar_!!!" Iruka hissed. "Where the hell did you learn something like that!?"

"From this!" he exclaimed, pulling a small pink book from his pocket. The cover read-

"Make-out Paradise?"

"I got it from Kakashi-sensei's desk!" He flipped the book open to a particularly graphic page and shoved it in Iruka's face. "See! Isn't it great! It's got pictures!"

Iruka snatched the book from Naruto's hands. "This book is not meant for children Naruto!"

"Well if it's so bad then why does Kakashi-sensei have it?"

"Because he… um…. It's for, um… older people things…"

"What kinda things?"

Iruka slapped his forehead. "Dear god…"

_Brrrring!!!!!!_

"Oh, the bell! Alright everyone!" Iruka called, clapping to get the kids attention. "Time to go home!"

"Yaaaaay!" the kids yelled and stampeded out of the yard, nearly knocking Iruka off his feet.

"Sayonara, Sensei!!!" They waved goodbye as they ran to meet their families at the gate.

"Bye everyone!" he called waving to his students. "See you on, Monday! Don't forget to practice your-"

"SENSEI!"

"Oof!!" Iruka was knocked to the ground. He shot an irritated glare at Naruto, who sat on his chest a wide, mischievous grin on his face. "Naruto…" Iruka groaned. "What are you doing?"

He laughed and shook his head. "Nothin'!"

"Well then, do you think you could get off of me?" Iruka asked, becoming irritated.

"I was just sayin' goodbye!" He said, bouncing on Iruka's stomach.

"By head butting me?" he groaned.

"Yup!" Naruto laughed.

"Of course," he gently lifted Naruto off of him and set him on the ground. "Well thank you for that Naruto but really," stood up and brushed off his backside. "You should be getting home."

Naruto frowned. "Yeah… okay…" He walked past Iruka but after a few steps he stopped. "Sensei…" he whispered.

"What is it?" Iruka asked.

"Could you…walk me home?" he asked, his back still turned to his teacher.

"Why, Naruto?"

"Because…. Because…" he stuttered. He pointed towards the fence, to a gang of kids who lingering by the exit. The four of them had their dark hateful eyes locked on Naruto.

Iruka frowned. He came up beside him and put his arm around his shoulder. "Sure, Naruto," he said. "Let's go."

He led Naruto across the yard and quickly walked him out, shooting a nasty glare at the kids. They each had their hands stuffed in their bulging pockets and wicked smirks on their faces.

"What are you doing here?" He asked. "School's over. You should all be at home."

"We were waiting for him," the biggest one said, stepping forward.

Naruto clenched his hands into fists and ground his teeth together. Iruka squeezed his shoulder.

"Why? What business do you have with him?" He asked in a very calm voice.

The big one grinned wickedly and pulled a stone out of his pocket. The rest of him followed suit. "We just wanted to see how fast the **Fox Boy** could run," he said menacingly. "That's all."

"What!? Iruka exclaimed.

"Yeah, last time we couldn't catch up to 'im, but this time," He casually tossed the stone up in the air. "We brought ammunition, so that should even the score."

Naruto growled and shrugged Iruka's hand off his shoulder. "It's okay, sensei! I can take 'em!"

"No, Naruto," he said, stepping in front of him. "I don't want you fighting…" He looked up and the kids flinched from the anger blazing in his dark eyes. "What the hell do you little punks think you're doing!!!?" He screamed.

"I already told ya' teach, we were- wahahah!!"

Iruka grabbed the little punk by his greasy hair and pulled him up off the ground.

"OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! WHAT THE HELLA' YOU DOIN"!!!? PUT ME DOWN!!!?" the kid wailed.

"I'll say it again," he said calmly. He brought the kid up to his face and his eyes flashed dangerously. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING MESSING WITH ONE OF _MY_ STUDENTS!!!?" he snarled.

"OW! OW! OW! LEMME GO!!!" The kid wailed, kicking at Iruka's stomach. Iruka quickly grabbed his foot and yanked him upside-down, shaking him violently.

Naruto just stood there, watching his sensei with big, teary eyes. Iruka-sensei was…. _defending _him. _Him_, Uzumaki Naruto, Konohagakure's reject, the boy no one stood up for, the boy everyone hated…

"S-sensei…" he whispered, a single tear running down his cheek.

Iruka continued to shake the living daylights out of the punk kid, who wailed like a girl even though Iruka wasn't really hurting him at all. His gang yelled and screamed for Iruka to put their leader down. He happily obliged and dropped him on the ground.

"OW!" the kid yelped, gingerly rubbing the large bump on his head.

"Don't you punks _even think_ about coming near Naruto _again_!!" Iruka growled, kicking the kid in the seat of the pants. "Get outta here!!"

"W-what should we d-do boss?" one of his nervous gang member's asked.

"We should… we AWAY!!!" he screamed and bolted down the street.

"Ugh… WAIT FOR US BOSS!!!?" The rest of them yelled, as they ran after their leader.

Iruka sighed, trying to control the anger building up inside of him. He turned to Naruto. "How long?"

"How long what?" he mumbled, lowering his head so Iruka wouldn't see the tears in his eyes.

"How long have they been treating you that way, Naruto!?" Iruka yelled.

He got no response.

"What they did to you was wrong!!! Why didn't you tell me before!!?"

Still nothing.

He balled his hands into fists.

"ANSWER ME, NARUTO!!!"

"People call me names all the time!!!" He glared at his sensei. "It's nothing new, you know!! Kids call me names all the time!!! Grown ups too!!!"

Iruka felt his face burning in anger. He knew that Naruto was shunned and treated with indifference but he hadn't known it was this bad.

"Well you should have told me!!" Iruka said.

"Why!?" Naruto yelled, angrily whipping his tears away with his sleeve. "What's it matter anyway!? Nobody cares about me!!" He shot Iruka one last accusing glare and darted down the street.

"Naruto wait!!!" Iruka yelled, racing after him. "Naruto stop!... Wait!! NARUTO!!!"

_Author's Note: Well, hope you liked it! I love writing for Iruka and Naruto! They're too kuwai! Anyway, part 2 for **Sticks and Stones **will be up soon… I hope. lol! Anyway, please read and review!!! Sayonara!!! _


	2. Embrace

**Chapter 2- Sticks and Stones: A Pain Shared- Iruka and Naruto**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto_

_Author's Note: Konichiwa everyone!!! Just so ya know, Naruto is about 7 years old and Iruka is about 20. KK! Read on!!! _

"Naruto, stop! Wait for me! Naruto!!" Iruka frantically chased after the short, blonde child, praying that he didn't loose sight of him. His ponytail was coming loose and strands of his dark hair fell in his face. He angrily shook them away. _No! I'm not going to loose him! I can't! Not after…_

He flashed back to the moment when the boy with the hateful eyes pulled the rock out of his pocket. _"We just wanted to see how fast the **Fox Boy** could run!" "We brought ammunition!" _

"_Dammit! How could I not have known!?"_

"NARUTO!!! WAIT!!!!" he screamed. He watched the boy disappear as he ducked into an alley. Iruka ran towards the alley, nearly crashing into the brick wall.

"NARUTO!" he screamed, his voice raw. His eyes moved down the rows of trash cans. He lifted up the lid of the one closest to him but it was empty. With his other hand he lifted up another one, but it empty too. He slammed them down, and continued checking the rest of them for his student. "Where are you?" he called, slamming the lids down, one right after the other.

He stopped. He was sure he'd heard a faint whimper. He continued down the alley, barely breathing.

Then, he felt a gentle tug on his leg. "S-sensei…" He looked down and saw the boy sitting on the ground, his little fist wrapped around his pant leg.

"Naruto…" he sighed, collapsing on the ground in front of him. The boy pulled his knees up to his chest and lowered his head. "Naruto… I…"

"Why does everybody hate me!?" he cried, pulling at his spiky hair. "Why!? I didn't do nothin' bad! Why doesn't anybody like me!?"

Iruka's eyes filled with tears. That feeling, that lonely feeling… he knew it all to well…

_When I was a child… during that war… my parents were killed by the fox demon… and I was left alone. It seemed like nobody cared. Like nobody wanted to care…I was so desperate for attention that I became the class clown... a laughing stock. I guess I thought that maybe by getting their attention I could fill the emptiness in my heart…But… what I really wanted…was the one thing I could never have…I wanted my parents. I wanted them to be alive; to hold me when I was sad; to tell me that everything was alright…What I really wanted…was to feel loved again. _

He looked down Naruto, who continued to tug angrily at his hair and wail from the pain inside. He gently uncurled the little boy's hands and with a swift movement pulled him into his arms. He felt the child shudder with surprise.

_Naruto…in you entire life... you've never felt loved have you...? _

He held the boy's head to his chest. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry, Naruto…" The tears slipped out of both their eyes, because they shared the same pain… Naruto clutched at Iruka's shirt, and continued to cry. Iruka held him tightly and rubbed his hair.

"Sensei!" he wailed. "Sensei!"

"It's okay Naruto. I'm here," Iruka soothed.

Naruto shuddered under the weight of all the tears, from all the pain he held pent up for so long. He buried his face in Iruka's warm chest. It felt strange… he had never been hugged before…

"What's the matter with me!?" he whimpered.

"There's nothing wrong with you. Absolutely nothing," Iruka answered.

He let out one last heart wrenching sob. After a few moments of silence Iruka gently tried to push him away but his little fists were still holding on to his shirt.

"Naruto… you have to let go now, okay?"

"…"

"Naruto?" He looked down and saw him quietly sleeping against his chest. Iruka smiled and gently tousled his hair. "You goofball…" Naruto's face scrunched up and he nuzzled even closer to Iruka. He sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"

He carefully gathered him in his arms, stood up and walked out of the dirty alley. He felt rather heroic as he carried the sleeping child to his apartment (since he had forgotten to ask Naruto where he lived, he didn't really have any other choice). He fumbled in the darkness to unlock the door. _Goddammit! I must be completely blind! _ He finally managed to stick in the key and turn the lock. The door swung open and he stepped into his small living room.

He gingerly laid Naruto on the couch and threw a blanket over his little, skinny form. He stood up and sighed, scratching his head. He walked into his kitchen and poured himself a tall glass of water. He gulped the whole thing down, then refilled the glass and raised it to his lips-

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

"Ah!" Iruka dropped the glass and bolted for the living room.

"N-Naruto!" he exclaimed. He rushed over to the couch to find him huddled under the blankets, shivering. "Naruto! Daijoubu ka?"

"No… N-no! No!" he mumbled. His eyes were still closed…

Iruka frowned. _He's having a nightmare… _

He gently whipped some of the sweat off his forehead.

"I-Iruka-sensei! H-help… get me outta… N-no! Don't leave me alone!"

"I'm right here, Naruto," he said in a stern voice. The child blindly reached out for him. Iuka picked him up, and he fumbled to grab a handful of Iruka's shirt. He sat down on the couch and gently rocked Naruto back and forth. His clothes were soaked with sweat and he was all clammy. "I'm right here," he repeated. "Don't be scared."

Naruto grunted and rested his head against Iruka's arm, falling into more pleasant dreams now that he knew he was safe.

Iruka sighed and leaned back against the couch. He slowly turned his head to the kitchen, and saw the shattered shards of his glass on the floor.

"Great…" he groaned rubbing his temple. He closed his eyes and fell asleep with little Naruto nestled contently in his arms.

_Authors Note: There's part 2!!!! Yosh!!! I am so happy with the way this turned out! Iruka and his motherly instincts get me every time! X3X3X3 Anyway, stay tuned for part 3 and please read and review!! Sayonara!!!!!!_


	3. He Needs Me

**Chapter 3- Sticks and Stones: Realization - Iruka and Naruto**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto_

_Author's Note:  This is probably rated T for bad language and talk of porn! _

Iruka woke the next morning, feeling stiff from sleeping in such an awkward position. He rolled his head forward and looked down at his lap. Naruto was curled up in a ball, his head resting on Iruka's lap. The child had a handful of Iruka's shirt in his fist and his thumb stuck in his mouth. The Jounin smiled and gently scratched the little ninja-wanna-be's head.

"Hey Naruto, time to wake up." The child stirred and made a sound like "Na-ugh".

Then Iruka's cell phone rang and started vibrating on the table beside him. He flipped it open and held the receiver to his ear.

"Konichiwa," he grumbled.

"Oi," came a miserable sounding voice from the other end.

"Kakashi? Is that you? You sound awful. Are you feeling alright?"

"No…" he mumbled.

"Oh, another hangover, huh?"

"Hai…"

Iruka laughed, picturing the young, silver-haired Jounin sitting in the bathroom all night with his head over the toilet.

"That's too bad. But you can't say I didn't warn you. I told you not to drink too much," Iruka scolded, sounding like a teacher reprimanding a student.

Kakashi groaned. "Where were you last night?" He asked, completely ignoring his frined's other comment about his lousy drinking habits.

Iruka looked down at the boy sleeping on his lap. "Something came up. Hold on a sec would ya, Kakashi?"

"Hai…"

With great difficulty, Iruka managed to pry Naruto's little fingers from his shirt. He carefully laid him on the opposite side of the couch and covered him with the blanket. He stood up, stretched out his sore legs and walked into the kitchen.

"Okay, we can talk," he said quietly sliding the door shut.

"So mind telling me where you were last night?" Kakashi asked, managing to sound slightly irritated despite his hangover. "You know, it was really cold last night and I waited around for you but you never showed!"

"Heh, sorry, like I said something… came up…"

"Oh really, then where the hell were you? "

Iruka sat down at the table and rubbed his temple. "One of my kids was almost beat up." There was a grave tone to his voice.

"One of your students?"

"Yeah…" Iruka sighed.

"Which one?"

"Uzumaki Naruto…"

"Who?"

"Naruto, you know the little kid with the spiky blonde hair, and the-"

"-habit for stealing my stuff?"

"Yeah, the habit for- You know, Kakashi it really would be nice if you didn't insist on bringing that vile book with you to _my _school!"

"What book?"

"You know… that… um… M-Make-Out Paradise…" Iruka said, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"What's wrong with it?"

Iruka scowled. "It's porn…"

"So what?"

"IT'S PORN!!! IT'S DISCUSTING AND VULGAR AND I DON'T NEED MY KIDS READING IT!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'R NOT EMBARRASSED TO LET OTHER PEOPLE SEE YOU READING THAT _GARBAGE_!"

"I like porn…" Kakashi mumbled. "It gives me that warm fuzzy feeling right in my-"

"That's disgusting, Kakashi!!!!" Iruka snapped.

Kakashi laughed. "You really are too uptight today, Iruka. Even with a hangover I'm cheerier than you."

Iruka took a deep, cleansing breath. "Just no more bringing porn to school, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah… So will I be getting my book back any time soon?"

"Why?"

"I need it for… things…"

Iruka scoffed. "We'll see…" he muttered.

"That's cruel. Denying a guy his porn… it's not right, you know!"

"I think you'll survive without it."

"Maybe…So, whatever happened to the kid?"

Iruka sighed. "He's alright… he just got scared… I think…"

"What's the matter?" Kakashi asked, actually sounding concerned.

"Nothing…" Iruka said, drumming his fingers against the table.

"You don't sound very convincing."

"It's just…" The scene from last night passed in front of his eyes, of Naruto crying and screaming in his arms.

"What is it, Iruka? Did something else happen?"

He shook his head. "No, it's nothing… I'm fine..."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"You want me to come over?"

"No, I'll be fine."

"Okay then…" Kakashi muttered, sounding a little unsure. There was a long pause, then Kakashi yawned loudly. "I'm going back to sleep."

"Okay, you do that…"

"But Iruka…"

"What?"

"I know you probably won't listen to me, but you really shouldn't worry so much about the kid. He'll be alright. Kids get bullied all the time."

"This was different…"

"Ugh… You're like a mother with all your worrying."

Iruka's eyebrow twitched with irritation. "Kakashi…"

"Yeah?"

"You're not getting your book back," Iruka said plainly.

"Aww! Come-"

Iruka snapped the phone shut, cutting Kakashi of mid-sentence. He threw it on the table and muttered angrily, "Perverted, lazy asshole… Who's he to give me insults?" He pushed himself from the table and walked over to the counter. He leaned against it and crossed his arms, his gaze dropping to the floor.

_Maybe I should have told him…about Naruto…_

He turned his head to rub a sore spot on his neck when he noticed the shattered pieces of glass on the floor. He leaned over and gingerly started to picked up the pieces.

Just then his phone started ringing again. "Asshole…"He groaned. He leaned over, and caught it in his hand, despite the fact the vibration was on so high it was practically hopping around the table. He flipped it open and said, "Konichiwa, Kakashi."

"I'll get it back from you eventually you know," he said.

"I'm gonna burn it."

"No you-!"

"Sayonara, Kakashi."

"Oi! Wai-!"

_Snap!_

Iruka finished picking up the shards of glass and dumped them in the trashcan.

He turned and stared at his phone that sat idly on the counter. As expected, a few seconds later it started to dance around and play his annoying ring-tone.

"Kakashi," he said, raising it to his ear. "This had better be the last time you call me."

"Just tell me why you're in such a crappy mood," Kakashi said. "Just tell me what's up. I know something's bothering you."

Iruka leaned against the counter and looked out the window above the sink. The small sliver of sun that peeked over the horizon died the clouds light pink.

"Kakashi…" he said. "Have you ever noticed… how badly people treat Naruto?"

"Hai, I have," he replied, unemotional, as usual whenever he was serious.

"And yet… I've never heard him wine or complain…" Iruka continued.

"He's a tough kid," Kakashi admitted.

"And before yesterday… I don't think I've ever even seen him cry…"

"He cried?" Kakashi said, sounding astonished. "Wow…That kids usually such a hyperactive knucklehead, always positive and bursting with energy. It's hard to imagine him actually crying."

"He cried, Kakashi… And the way he was screaming…" He covered his face. "I don't think I've ever heard a child in that much pain before."

"What did you do?" His friend asked.

"I just gave him a hug, and he fell asleep after that…"

There was a pause.

"It's sad…" Iruka continued. "I don't think the poor kid's ever been shown any kind of affection in his whole life… It's wrong for him to be so put out… To be treated so badly…"

"……"

"Oi, Kakashi? You still there?"

"Iruka…" He said, his voice was now completely serious. "Because you are both orphans you think you understand what he's going threw, don't you?"

"I understand completely what he's going threw," he mumbled.

"You think you do," Kakashi replied.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Iruka yelled.

"When you were his age, you still had your family to care for you!" Kakashi yelled back twice as loud and twice as fierce. "Who does he have to watch over him!?"

"He has me!" Iruka blared. His eyes grew wide and he clapped his hand over his mouth. It took him a minute before he realized what he had just said.

_Oh, god… What am I saying? I'm not fit to actually take care of a kid! As a student, sure, but as a…a…_

_Family…_

He ran his fingers threw his hair to calm himself down. He was practically hyperventilating.

_Kakashi's right…_

_I would have no idea what to say … what to do to help ease the pain he must be feeling…_

_That poor kid…_

_Going his whole life without a family…_

_Without even an idea of what a family might be…_

_I don't have a clue…_

_And what do I know anyway…?_

_About being a parent…_

_I'm a teacher…_

_Just a teacher, ne…?_

_So then why do I have this… this aching feeling…?_

He clutched at his chest.

_Maybe this kid…really does need me…_

"He needs me…" he repeated, his hand still laying over his heart.

He smiled.

_Sorry Kakashi…_

_But I think…_

_I am starting to care… _

He heard his friend sigh on the other end, as if he had heard every word that went through Iruka's head. "You have to remember, Iruka, you're just his sensei. There's only so much you can do to ease the pain he's feeling… and even that might not help much."

"Hai, I know that," He said simply.

There was a pause. Then he heard Kakashi chuckle.

"He reminds you of yourself, doesn't he?"

Iruka blinked, then closed his eyes and smiled. "Hai… he's just like I was when I was growing up… always troublesome…"

"Is he there with you?" Kakashi asked.

"Hai, he's sleeping right now," he said, walking to the sliding door and opening it a crack to make sure.

"You have to try not to get too attached to him, Iruka," Kakashi said.

"Why?" Iruka asked, closing the door.

"Because of… what he is, it might only end up causing more pain for you both."

_Because of what he is…?_

_Does he mean the fox demon...?_

_The demon that killed my parents…_

_The demon that's trapped inside of Naruto's body…_

"I hadn't… thought of that..." Iruka said slowly. "But none of that really matters. I can't blame Naruto for what happened so long ago. That kid is nothing like the demon."

"I think it's good," Kakashi said.

"What?"

"What you're doing for the kid," he explained. "It's really good of you, Iruka."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I know," he said, feeling happy for the first time all morning.

"I should go," Kakashi said suddenly. "I feel like I'm gonna be sick…"

"Okay. I'll hold off on burning _Make-Out Paradise _for a while."

"Arigatou… Ir…u…ACK!…"

"Kakashi? Are you there?" Iruka held the phone to his ear until he heard the annoying dial tone.

He hung up and slowly laid his phone on the counter. He pictured his friend having to make another desperate b-line for the bathroom and smiled.

_He'll never learn…_

He sighed and ran his fingers threw his dark hair.

_That took a lot out of me. _He felt emotionally drained, not to mention completely exhausted. He turned his head, the clock on the microwave said it was 7:18. Iruka rubbed his drowsy eyes.

_No wonder I'm so tired. _

He slowly shuffled out of the kitchen, turned down the short hallway, opened his bedroom door and threw himself on his bed. He pulled the covers up to his chin and closed his eyes.

His last thought before he fell asleep was: _Maybe I should burn it…_

_Author's Note: Well, there ya' go! Chappy 3 new and greatly improved! Sorry I keep changing it so much, but I was kinda in a rush to get this one up and after I realized it was so short I just had to add more to it. bows head Gomen nasai!!! Although I am really satisfied with the way it turned out in the end! Oh, I just couldn't resist putting a little (okay A LOT:3) Iruka-Kakashi action in there! What can I say, Kakashi loves his porn. lol! and I love Kakashi! So it all worked out! (even though he ended up with a painful hangover lol! Poor Kakashi-sensei! The next time I write for him I guarantee he'll be in perfect health! YOSH!) Anyway, please read and review!!! The fourth and final part to Iruka and Naruto's fairytale will be up soon so stay tuned! Oh, and thanks to everyone who reviewed, I love getting them! They always make me so happy! I'm sending uber good vibes your way!!! Sayonara!_


	4. Dream

_Author's Note: Konichiwa everybody! Pyrokineticsiren-san here! Back from her ultra long writing hiatus and ready to GO!! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. I took me a while to get it all sorted out but I'm happy with the way it turned out. Thank god for **Wolf's Rain,** that anime helps me keep my sanity! XP hope this chappy ain't too confuzzling!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters! SO THERE! XP NYAH!!!!_

**Chapter Four- Iruka's Past Dream**

Iruka drifted unwillingly in his dreams, a slight fever racking his brain. He gripped at his throbbing temple, trying to still the disturbing images that were flashing in front of his eyes.

He saw himself as a boy. He was in that room again. The room were all the bad boys go. The ones who pull pranks and crave attention…

That empty room, with the dark corners and the little window.

He sheepishly walked over to that window, his head feeling oddly heavy and his vision blurry and fragmented. He gazed up at the distant blue sky… at the birds flying off in the distance. Without even realizing it, his little hand reached up towards the far away sky, the white rays of light playing against his fingertips…

_Why was it… that at moments like that…when the blue sky was opened up before me… that I would think about what the Hokage had told me…the day after my parents funeral…_

_I remember… on that day, I just couldn't stop crying. The pain of loosing them was tearing me apart... On that day, after everyone had left the funeral, and I stood there staring at my mother and fathers grave, and I realized that I was truly alone… I had… no one else to turn to… they were all I had… and they were gone_

_There was so much pain inside…_

_But I would find ways of releasing that pain…_

"**_It's not fair! It's not fair! It's not fair!" _**

**_I would pound my fists into the training dummies at school, beating those bags of stuffing to a bloody pulp._**

**_I knew it was wrong but I just couldn't stop…I just kept punching… As hard as I could…even after my knuckles started bleeding…No physical pain could compare to that other pain that pulled at my heart everyday. Nothing could even come close to that…_**

**_I remember, one day, I had finished beating the stuffing out of the dummy and I just got the urge to kick it halfway across the schoolyard… It was then that I realized that I was making some bad habits… I had already started isolating myself from the other kids at school, because after my parents died I didn't really want to be around anyone anymore. I convinced myself that I was just fed up with everything and everybody, and that I didn't need them to survive… but the truth was, I felt lonely… really lonely…_**

_**I wished someone would just notice I was alive…**_

**_I sat down on the ground and tried to bandage up my bloody hands when I suddenly felt a big, strong hand grip my shoulder. I didn't look up to see who I was, because I already had a good idea who had come after me so late in the day. It was the one and only person who was capable of caring about me… about everybody it seemed…_**

"**_What are you doing Iruka?" Lord Hokage asked. "It's late, you shouldn't be out here."_**

"_**So what? It's not like there's anybody waiting at home for me..."**_

"_**It that what's been troubling you Iruka?" **_

"**_What else would be troubling me…?"_**

"_**Well, I thought perhaps maybe a fight at school. You have been getting in a lot of fights lately, Iruka. It's so unlike you…"**_

_**I shuddered under all that weight. The weight of how disgusted I was with myself, for all the stupid things I'd done I was all just to get people to notice me… maybe a little. "**_

**_It's not fair…" I said threw gritted teeth. "Why did they have to die? They didn't do anything wrong! My father was a ninja, he didn't deserve to be killed that way! And my mother… she didn't deserve it!! Neither of them deserved it at all!"_**

"**_It's true…they are dead. But," Lord Hokage muttered sadly. I turned so could the forlorn look on his wise, wrinkled face. I saw that there were tears in his eyes. "Your parents were great people, so full of kindness, and trust and loyalty." He frowned and sniffed. "I am so proud, and I am going to miss them." _**

"**_You think you're going to miss them, old man!? They were all I had left and now their gone! What the hell am I supposed to do now!?"_**

"**_Hurting yourself like this isn't right. It's cowardly… not to mention pretty dumb.. And it isn't not like you to be dumb, Iruka. You know that you are not honoring their memory. You know your parents would not be happy with you if they knew this was how you dealt with things."_**

"**_But… it hurts so much…"I whimpered. "Mom and Dad… I…I miss them so much… and nobody else seems to care… about me! I just don't know what else to do!"_**

"**_Iruka, listen to me, because I'm going to tell you something very important: when I was a child, much younger than you, the first and second Hokage told me something that changed the way I thought about death. They told me that we can miss them all our lives, you don't resent their memory, or curse them for leaving us. It is not their fault, it was just their time to die."_**

"_**Is that supposed to make me feel better? Because it's not helping…"**_

"_**They also told me… that when they die, the souls of the dead take on another domain, a place that is very different from our own."**_

"**_Where is this place?"_**

_**He pointed his index finger upwards. "Up."**_

**_I looked at him questionably. "In the sky? How is that possible?"_**

**_He chuckled. "Their watching over those they love…"_**

"**_Watching over… those they love? All of them?"_**

"**_Yes!" Lord Hokage said smiling down at me. "Always!"_**

"_**How is that possible?" I asked.**_

**_Lord Hokage chuckled and gently patted me on the head. I felt tears swell up. That was the first physical contact I'd had in a long time… and I hadn't realized how much I missed it. _**

"_**You really are the brightest student I've ever seen," Lord Hokage said. "But try not to let your logics get in the way of seeing things for what they really are."**_

Iruka looked down at his child form and realized that he was back in that dark room again. He sighed and crawled over to the wall. He sat down and wrapped his thin arms around his legs.

He looked up at the light streaming in threw the window.

_Even though I wouldn't admit it to myself… I wished with all my heart… that it could be a bird…that I could fly up to them…to where the Hokage said they would be waiting for me…_

Iruka didn't notice it, but the world around him was slowly starting to melt away. The dark walls were crumbling away to reveal a new place completely engulfed in white light. Iruka didn't know what to make of this space. Everything was white. There were no walls surrounding him, in fact he could feel the soft touch of a breeze against his face, almost as if he were outside. The ground he sat on felt like it was constantly shifting, like solid water. He stood on his wobbly legs and realized that he was a lot taller than a 10 year old should be. He realized that he was his grown self again. "That's weird," he said, staring at his scarred 22-year-old hands. "I wonder how that happened..."

Suddenly, he heard the soft, familiar sound of children laughing. He looked up and saw a group of children playing off in the distance. He stared at them blankly, mystified by the sight. He felt something cold and metallic clutched in both of his hands. He wasn't standing anymore; he was sitting on a swing. He turned to his left and noticed the person sitting beside him on the swing was Naruto.

"So what brings you here?" He said conversationally. "Why aren't you off playing with those kids?"

"They don't like me," he said. Iruka frowned at the unfamiliar monotone of the child's voice.

"Don't say stuff like that, it's so unlike you."

The child didn't say anything; he just continued to stare absently at the ground.

Iruka's brows furrowed. "Naruto, c'mon, why won't you answer me?"

"Get away from me…" he mumbled, his voice harsh and menacing.

"Why?" Iruka asked.

"You all…" He lifted his head and glared at him with piercing red eyes. "You all left me alone," he growled, lifting himself off the swing.

Iruka fell off the swing and started trembling on the ground.

_Those eyes…_

_Those eyes!_

_The eyes of the Fox Demon…_

Iruka gasped as he looked down at his hands and realized he was once again reverting back into a child.

"What!?" he gasped.

Naruto's body hunched over and he loomed over Iruka's small body on all fours. **_"You bastard… You…" _**Naruto snarled, baring his dripping fangs in a voice barely recognizable as his own. **_"YOU LEFT ME ALONE!"_**

"What!? No! I didn't-"

"**_DON'T LIE!! YOU DID!! Everyone did… and now…" _**He smiled wickedly, barring dripping fangs. **_"I'M HUNGRY, IRUKA-SENSEI!!!!"  
_**

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

?/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\?

_DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DAAA! That's Iruka-sensei's creepy dream! BWAHAHAHA! What's coming up next you ask? Well, let's just say that Naruto's gonna get sick and Iruka's gonna call in some help from his good pal KAKASHI!!! XD Finally! HERE HE COMES TO SAVE THE DAY! IT'S KAKASHI-SENSEIIIIIIIIII!!! Lol! Okay… it's four in the morning… I gotta get some sleep... See ya' later guys!_


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